Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo — First layer squished into the bed despite correct paper test and auto-leveling
Hi everyone,
I'm having a frustrating first-layer issue with my Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo, and I'd appreciate some help diagnosing it.
My setup
- Printer: Anycubic Kobra 2 Neo
- Firmware: Stock firmware (v1.5.6.4)
- Slicer: Anycubic Slicer Next, default Kobra 2 Neo profile
- Build plate: Original PEI sheet
- Auto-leveling: Original inductive probe
- Hardware: No modifications
- Software: No recent firmware updates or configuration changes
The problem
My nozzle is too close to the build plate when the print starts. The first layer is completely squished, and the nozzle scrapes against the PEI bed, including during the purge line.
The strange thing is that the Z-offset seems correct before printing.
Here's what I've checked so far:
- I performed auto-leveling.
- I manually checked the nozzle-to-bed distance using the paper test, and it feels correct.
- My current Z-offset is -1.45 mm.
- After homing the printer, the nozzle-to-bed distance still seems correct when checked with paper.
- I also tried printing an official Anycubic test file, but the exact same problem occurs.
Since the problem also happens with an official test file, I'm not sure whether this is caused by the Z-offset, the inductive probe, the bed mesh, or something else.
What I've tried / observed
The paper test looks good before printing, but as soon as the printer starts the purge line, the nozzle is too low and the first layer gets heavily compressed.
I haven't made any hardware modifications, and I'd prefer to identify the actual cause rather than randomly changing settings.
My questions
What could cause the nozzle to be at the correct height during the paper test but too low when printing starts?
Could the inductive probe be mounted at the wrong height or triggering inconsistently, even if auto-leveling completes successfully?
Could the bed mesh fail to apply during printing, even with an official Anycubic test file?
Is there a way to check whether the printer is changing the effective Z position or Z-offset after homing?
Are there any known firmware issues or calibration problems on the Kobra 2 Neo that cause this exact symptom?
Has anyone experienced the same issue on a stock Kobra 2 Neo and managed to fix it?
I'd really appreciate any suggestions for specific diagnostic tests. I'd rather find the root cause than keep changing the Z-offset without understanding what's happening.
Thanks in advance!